Many drivers upset by new SF parking meter rules

January 6, 2013 6:56:11 PM PST

by Tomas Roman

SAN FRANCISCO --

Drivers in San Francisco now have to feed the meters on Sundays. Reaction to this new rule is mixed, and that's only because so many people bike in the city. But for those who come to church or want to enjoy a Sunday brunch, this is going to hurt.

People were feeding meters all over San Francisco on Sunday, the first day of Sunday meter enforced parking in the city. Not something everybody welcomed.

"You know I think it's a pain," Brisbane resident Andrew Somera said. "I can understand where San Francisco is coming from, they need to pay their bills, we need to pay our bills. It's a real inconvenience considering parking was free in Sundays."

The city thinks it's necessary because Sundays have become regular business days, which wasn't the case decades ago when the city closed down on Sundays. The SFMTA has decided that like weekday parking spaces need to rotate more often to let visitors get a chance to park.

Those who run religious education programs think it will affect attendance, "I'm not going to be able to get my volunteers to stay, it runs through 12:30," said Joyce Fletham with Glide Memorial. "People are going to leave because a $75 dollar parking ticket for a half hour of education is not going to be worth it to them."

Parking meters will operate from noon until 6 p.m. According to the SFMTA, that was done to accommodate the faith community because many services end before noon.

The new program is expected to bring in an additional two million dollars annually.

On this first Sunday, parking enforcement officers went throughout the city putting informational leaflets on windshields instead of the dreaded tickets. Drivers are getting some ample warning before they will get ticketed.